Top 10 Christmas Characters

One of the biggest parts of Christmas is the music. Every year on the day after Thanksgiving, people start playing Christmas music, and do so on repeat until the holiday has come and gone. I have always found this a tad on the extreme side, and I tend to avoid Christmas music until at least the month of December. Some people may call me a curmudgeon (and believe me there are plenty of other areas of life where I am, due in large part to my father, who has diagnosed himself with “early-onset curmudgeon disorder) but, I can assure you that when it comes to Christmas, I am the farthest thing from it. Though I may not love Christmas music all the time, I can watch any Christmas themed movie any time during the year. I love Christmas movies. When they are well done, they can become instant classics. One of most important aspects, as it is with any movie, is the characters. A good character in a good movie can be remembered forever. As I said before, I love movies, especially Christmas movies, and with any good movie, comes good characters. So here is a list of the top 10 greatest Christmas movie characters. Enjoy.

#10. George Bailey, It’s a Wonderful Life- 1946: This movie is an American classic, and George Bailey is the main character. He is a down-on-his luck family man, who frequently puts aside his dreams and aspirations for the better of other people. Now if that’s not the Christmas spirit, I don’t know what is. I do know, however, that getting drunk and trying to kill yourself, is not. This is exactly what George Bailey does, when his Uncle loses a check for $8,000 for the housing project that George is running. Luckily an angel (who will appear on this list later) saves George, and shows him just what the town would look like had he never been born, as he had wished earlier. George’s story sends the message of giving over receiving with emphasis.

#9. Clarence Odbody- It’s a Wonderful Life- 1946: When I said that George’s guardian angel would be appearing on this list later, I meant right after George. Clarence Odbody is “an Angel, Second Class” meaning he does not yet have his wings. In the movie, St. Joseph tells Clarence of the trouble George has put himself in, and tells Clarence that if he can save George, and make him see the good he has done for countless others, then he will receive his wings, after over 200 years of trying. Clarence is a very love able character throughout the movie, and does end up saving George. It is because of Clarence that we have two of the most memorable lines in cinema history. One that he wrote in a copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer which he gave to George as a Christmas gift, which reads, "Dear George: Remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings! Love Clarence." The other comes right near the end of the film, when George is holding his daughter up next to a Christmas tree, and a bell on an ornament rings. His daughter happily says “Look daddy, teacher says, every time a bell rings, and angel gets his wings.”

#8. Dr. Neil Miller and Scott Calvin- The Santa Clause-1994: Played by Judge Reinhold, Dr. Neil Miller is the new husband of Tim Allen’s divorced wife in The Santa Clause. Miller is a psychiatrist, who is convinced that Tim Allen’s character, Scott Calvin, is insane. Scott Calvin is an extremely sarcastic character, who also happens to be Santa Claus. Miller is the brunt of numerous jokes throughout the movie, and his reactions are priceless. Laura (Scott’s Ex Wife: “All Neil told him was that Santa was more of a feeling. More of a state of mind than an actual person. Scott: Kind of like Neil.”

Charlie (Scott’s son): Neil doesn't believe in Santa
Scott: Well, Neil's head comes to a point.

Dr. Neil Miller: Scott, what was the last thing you and Charlie did, before you went to bed Christmas Eve?
Scott Calvin: We shared a bowl of sugar, did some shots of brown liquor, played with my shot guns, field-dressed a cat, looked for women...
Scott Calvin: I read him a book!
Dr. Neil Miller: What book?
Scott Calvin: Uh, "Hollywood Wives."
Scott Calvin: "The Night Before Christmas", folks, come on!

#7. Randy Parker- A Christmas Story- 1983: Possibly the most celebrated Christmas movie of all time, A Christmas Story is played almost as much as the music. It is the story of young Ralphie Parker’s attempt to convince his parents, or anyone else who will listen really, that he needs to get a Red Ryder BB Gun with a compass in the stock, and "this thing that tells time." This is the main plot, but the show is truly stolen by Ralphie’s little brother Randy. He does this in two classic scenes.

#6. Buddy the Elf- Elf- 2003: In short, Will Ferrell dresses up and talks like an elf for two hours. Hilarity ensues.

#5. Kevin McAllister-Home Alone- 1990: eight year old Kevin McCallister’s family has gone on Christmas vacation to France. But he hasn’t. In such a rush to leave, his family forgot to wake him up, and didn’t notice he was missing till they were 30,000 feet in the air. Alone at his house in Chicago, Kevin eats all the junk food and watches all the trash TV he wants. That is, until two burglars attempt to ruin all his fun. The rest of the movie shows just how clever Kevin is, as he sets up multiple intricate “Boobie Traps,” and eventually thwarts the criminals.

#4. The Grinch-How the Grinch Stole Christmas-200: This character has been played and replayed plenty of times, but perhaps never better than in 200, when Jim Carrey portrayed the green curmudgeon. The Grinch is a mean old monster type being who lives in a cave on a mountain overlooking the town of Whoville. The Grinch despises Christmas, and attempts to “Steal” it from the citizens of Whoville, but is soon taught that Christmas is not just a material holiday. Video

#3. Ebenezer Scrooge- A Christmas Carol: I didn’t include a year, based upon the fact that there have been so many variations of this story, and of Scrooge. It is a classic story of a mean old business man, who is obsessed with money, and cares very little for Christmas. After his associate Marley dies, he becomes a ghost and begins to haunt Scrooge. He tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three ghosts. These three ghosts are the ghost of Christmas past, (showing scrooge the errors of his past) the ghost of Christmas present, (showing Scrooge the error of his ways in the present day) and the ghost of Christmas future, who shows Scrooge that if he does not change his ways things will end “gravely.” (See what I did there?)

#2. Clark Griswold-National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation-1989: Clark Griswold set the standard for sarcastic, stressed out fathers in Christmas movies. Clark annoyed with his job, his unenthused children, and his parents, in-laws, and finally, the surprise arrival of his white-trash cousin, Eddie. Through all of this, Clark tries to stay positive and keep the Christmas spirit alive, but finally snaps when his expected big Christmas bonus turns out to be “A one year subscription to the jelly of the month club.”

#1. Cousin Eddie-National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation-1989: The undisputed #1 character on the list, is Edward Griswold, better known as Cousin Eddie. Cousin Eddie defines white trash. He is rude, crude, yet very entitled. He is a drunk, but still cares his family, as best he can, though it seems he cares more for his Doberman, Snots. Eddie is somewhat of an antagonist to Clark Griswold, and the interaction between the two is classic.

So, there it is; The 10 Best Christmas Characters of all time. In the words of Cousin Eddie; “Merry Christmas, shitter was full!”